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My tools of the trade! Machete, leatherman, sandpaper,
coconut oil, and block oil |
How to make your own Coconut Bowl!
1) acquire coconut.
2) if the coconut is not peeled like the one in the photo.... peel it. My husband uses the machete and the leatherman to pull strips off.
3) Ok now you have a coconut ready for draining. Poke out the "false eye" its the one that feels/looks different
4) allow the coconut water to drain into a bowl or container. Drink it! Cook with it! I recommend cooking white rice in it and sprinkle the rice with cinnamon
5) now you are ready to open the coconut. There are several ways to do this. First there is sawing it open, and second there is hitting it until it breaks open naturally. Although this second method does not guarantee nice even halves.
6) Now you have a coconut that is open and full of yummy coconut meat! There are also several tricks for removing it. We put the halves in the fridge for a bit and then use a screwdriver or butter knife to get between he shell and meet and pry it out!
7) Ok now you also have yummy coconut meat and are ready to start on the shells to make the bowls. I know we already are at step 7. Go ahead take a break and enjoy the soils so far!
8) take one half, and the largest grit sand paper you have! I use a "Craft" set so it is about 80 grit. Remove the large hairy outside stuff. I tried steel wool for this as well but the sand paper works the best. Sand it down so you have a nice even dark brown color all over the outside.
9) take that same grit and start working on the inside as well.
10) grab the smaller grit and repeat on the outside and inside
11) grab your smallest and finest grit sand paper and give the outside and inside a polish. Your fingers should REALLY but hurting by now
12) let the halves dry out (or this can be step 7)
13) I normally give it one last polish and then rinse and dry again
14) now apply some coconut oil or other block oil to the whole thing. It should soak in so give it a few more coats, mostly on the outside.
15) I use a butch block oil and finish on the inside because I know it is food safe and should give it a good seal.
16) for the block oil apply 1 coat and let dry for 6 hrs
17) apply second coat after scoring the first coat with the fine grit sand paper
18) let dry for 72 hrs
19) wash the bowl
20) dry
21) one last layer of coconut oil on the outside
